By David Schultz
The Los Angeles City Council has decided that tying the hands of police officers will somehow make the city safer.
In a unanimous vote, the Council moved to restrict so called pretextual traffic stops by the LAPD, a move celebrated by activists but eyed with concern by those who actually care about law enforcement and public safety.
This new policy will stop officers from pulling over drivers, bicyclists, or pedestrians for minor violations unless the infraction poses an immediate safety risk.
That means things like broken taillights or expired tags would no longer justify a stop unless there is an obvious danger.
San Francisco has already gone down this road, and now Los Angeles wants to follow suit. It is the latest example of California’s political class prioritizing activist feelings over basic public safety.
Councilmember Imelda Padilla, one of the loudest voices for the change, scolded the LAPD’s oversight board to get on board, declaring “no excuses.”
She cited her own family’s experiences of being stopped as part of her justification.
Apparently, personal anecdotes now outweigh decades of public safety data and the need for officers to identify real criminals hiding behind minor legal violations.